What car? Whose car? My car?
Discussion
Hello.
I have a dilema for the PH massive. Today my headgasket went. I have been quoted around £700-800 before to get it fixed (I had milky oil, the garage told me it wasnt the HG just condensation, this was around 3-4 months ago so they could have been right, however it has no gone in spectecular clouds of steam).
So what do I do. The car is a fiat stilo 1.6, that I am not particularly fond of. 110,000 on the clock, and possibly a clutch problem too, not sure. worth in working order maybe £1000. Adding to the complexity of the problem, I have already spent £1000 on it this year with servicing, new tyres, new coils/bushes and track rod ends, Pads and MOT. So I look at that as wasted if I scrap the car.
So do I buy a new car, or pay to get mine on the road (bearing in mind it has been a bit of a money pit). What would you do??
If I was to buy a new car, what should I get. I am SKINT! Very skint! Saving for a masters degree, but not really saving much at all. Should I get a loan, finance, or try and scavange maybe 500-1500 absaloute max! What cars should I look at for this kind of money? bearing in mind I want it to be cheap to run, but hopefully more desirable than the stilo (NOT HARD!)
Has anyone got a reliable one for sale?? (if this is aloud). I drive 16 miles round trip to work most days, but as of october will be doing a 2 hour round trip to uni once a week, so really needs to be good at long motorway drives. I also regualry drive Leeds to surrey/suffolk visiting family and OH family. I would like to say handles well, fun, pretty etc but I can't really afford to be picky right now, I just need something I can rely on to get me places for pennies.
Any suggestions/cars/advice/"shoudn't have bought a fiat in the first place's welcome"!!
ETA: I'm 22, and due to a motorbike accident when I was 19 (not my fault of course, but thats another storey) I have four points and a conviction under my belt so insurance can be a bit of an issue.
I have a dilema for the PH massive. Today my headgasket went. I have been quoted around £700-800 before to get it fixed (I had milky oil, the garage told me it wasnt the HG just condensation, this was around 3-4 months ago so they could have been right, however it has no gone in spectecular clouds of steam).
So what do I do. The car is a fiat stilo 1.6, that I am not particularly fond of. 110,000 on the clock, and possibly a clutch problem too, not sure. worth in working order maybe £1000. Adding to the complexity of the problem, I have already spent £1000 on it this year with servicing, new tyres, new coils/bushes and track rod ends, Pads and MOT. So I look at that as wasted if I scrap the car.
So do I buy a new car, or pay to get mine on the road (bearing in mind it has been a bit of a money pit). What would you do??
If I was to buy a new car, what should I get. I am SKINT! Very skint! Saving for a masters degree, but not really saving much at all. Should I get a loan, finance, or try and scavange maybe 500-1500 absaloute max! What cars should I look at for this kind of money? bearing in mind I want it to be cheap to run, but hopefully more desirable than the stilo (NOT HARD!)
Has anyone got a reliable one for sale?? (if this is aloud). I drive 16 miles round trip to work most days, but as of october will be doing a 2 hour round trip to uni once a week, so really needs to be good at long motorway drives. I also regualry drive Leeds to surrey/suffolk visiting family and OH family. I would like to say handles well, fun, pretty etc but I can't really afford to be picky right now, I just need something I can rely on to get me places for pennies.
Any suggestions/cars/advice/"shoudn't have bought a fiat in the first place's welcome"!!
ETA: I'm 22, and due to a motorbike accident when I was 19 (not my fault of course, but thats another storey) I have four points and a conviction under my belt so insurance can be a bit of an issue.
Edited by balders118 on Friday 20th August 08:04
I have never heard of anyone that has had a problem free Stilo.
If you have the time strip the stilo for parts and sell it that way. It could amaze you how much you could get for all the bits.
Buy something that is old but has a proven indestructibility record, something german probably. Dont look at superminis for long motorway cruises you will want something abut the size of a VW golf or bigger for a bit of comfort.
If you have the time strip the stilo for parts and sell it that way. It could amaze you how much you could get for all the bits.
Buy something that is old but has a proven indestructibility record, something german probably. Dont look at superminis for long motorway cruises you will want something abut the size of a VW golf or bigger for a bit of comfort.
sc4589 said:
Leggy Civic VTi/1.5 LSi of the late '90s era. Not too leggy though!
There's a gorgeous 200,000 mile example of a VTi in a lovely light metallic blue on PH for the princely sum of a grand. Smack in the middle of your budget!
Linky? Trouble is I don't actually have a grand, I just may be able to get it together. I'm not usually a fan of Jap stuff, but i'm not really in a posistion to be choosy.There's a gorgeous 200,000 mile example of a VTi in a lovely light metallic blue on PH for the princely sum of a grand. Smack in the middle of your budget!
Edited by sc4589 on Friday 20th August 01:46
If it's a money-pit, there's no point chucking good money after bad. You've already paid out the value of the car in repairs/servicing this year, no point doing it all over again, just cut your losses.
I had an old Saab 9-5, 100,000 on the clock when the engine blew up, one of my mates told me to stick it on e-bay as a non-runner. Despite the fact that I thought it was a waste of time I did as he suggested, a week later someone came round with a flat-bed, took it away and gave me £550 cash for it.
Well worth a try.
I had an old Saab 9-5, 100,000 on the clock when the engine blew up, one of my mates told me to stick it on e-bay as a non-runner. Despite the fact that I thought it was a waste of time I did as he suggested, a week later someone came round with a flat-bed, took it away and gave me £550 cash for it.
Well worth a try.
sc4589 said:
Leggy Civic VTi/1.5 LSi of the late '90s era. Not too leggy though!
I had an R reg one of those from about 70k -100k miles and was faultless and cheap to run and wanted for nothing apart from a top up of oil and a replacement backbox.Nice thing about the mid range Hondas is that they are mostly bought and owned by 'decent' non-boy racer types so not been thrashed or abused and usually withh full dealer history too as they too scared to go anywhere else!
If you are on a budget and cannot fix things yourself then stick with mainstream Jap models for max reliability.
PS: MX-5?
balders118 said:
What cars should I look at for this kind of money? bearing in mind I want it to be cheap to run, but hopefully more desirable than the stilo (NOT HARD!)
Shed of the Week is your friend.No head gasket job should cost £800 to get fixed. Head gasket blew on my first car, warped the head and fried the 4th cylinder piston rings. £250!
If you are going to uni DONT think of finance.
1) You wont get accepted so dont get our hopes up.
2) Id rather be a student of limited means, in the union on a saturday than a skint student pulling the dent out of my P & J on a Sunday.
3) The student loan people aint got an exceptional track record, you may need that money dearly in september.
I would get another quote.
Even the lower end of your quote at £700 sounds way over the top for headgasket replacement.
Even bearing in mind that the head may likely need skimming.
The 1.6 Stilo engine is relatively basic.
Also - you could probably get another complete (good) engine from the scrappers for (much) less than that.
ETA: Found an engine but £600 !
Of course you'll still need to get it fitted...
Even the lower end of your quote at £700 sounds way over the top for headgasket replacement.
Even bearing in mind that the head may likely need skimming.
The 1.6 Stilo engine is relatively basic.
Also - you could probably get another complete (good) engine from the scrappers for (much) less than that.
ETA: Found an engine but £600 !
Of course you'll still need to get it fitted...
Edited by TonyRPH on Friday 20th August 09:21
Strip the Stilo or just scrap it, its not worth throwing money away on it!
As for future cars, im on the jap side of the bench. Look at the below, plenty out there for 1-5K with FSH and reasonable miles. I know it looks like an oldmans car but thats why it ticks the boxes
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1733069.htm
As for future cars, im on the jap side of the bench. Look at the below, plenty out there for 1-5K with FSH and reasonable miles. I know it looks like an oldmans car but thats why it ticks the boxes
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1733069.htm
stuthemong said:
8miles on an ok bike is 30mins - buy a 2nd hand toured for 200 quid to cover your day to day commute - fitter & save £20 week in petrol etc... Means you'd need less miles on your insurance for next car so will offset that too :-)
Not really an option as come october I will have a 150 mile rond trip commute to uni once a week.To answer the other comment about finance while at uni, Im doing my masters part time so will still be working during and I will not be getting any loan from student finance.
Strip / scrap the Stilo - you may raise £1k if the newish bits are still in good nick...
... and buy an £800 MX5 that needs some bodywork TLC.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1884411.htm
... and buy an £800 MX5 that needs some bodywork TLC.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1884411.htm
Matt UK said:
Strip / scrap the Stilo - you may raise £1k if the newish bits are still in good nick...
... and buy an £800 MX5 that needs some bodywork TLC.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1884411.htm
If it didnt need a new window that would be a possability, plus its a fair way from me. Might see what others I can find closer to yorkshire. ... and buy an £800 MX5 that needs some bodywork TLC.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1884411.htm
Can you get a decent condition MX-5 for less than 1k then? A few bumps and stuff i'm not fussed about really, as long as it runs okay. I really need a long MOT as i relly can't afford to buy a car that needs £££ work done in within a few months.
Matt UK said:
Strip / scrap the Stilo - you may raise £1k if the newish bits are still in good nick...
... and buy an £800 MX5 that needs some bodywork TLC.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1884411.htm
Quite tempted by that little car, though the scrapes may never be fixed.... and buy an £800 MX5 that needs some bodywork TLC.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1884411.htm
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